722 
earlier than August, and for such nothing 
is more striking than a rose-coloured study, 
relieved by the white as I have suggested. 
It takes the eye from those portions of the 
garden that have, perhaps, lost some of their 
summer beauty. The seedling Hollyhocks 
are so good that there is little or no need to 
indulge in named varieties. Of Pblox decus- 
sata there are many excellent varieties, like 
Ball of Fire, Coquelicot, Etna, and one old 
variety that tones wonderfully with the rose 
pink Hollyhocks, i.e .—John Forbes. Among 
the white Phloxes La Sylphide is really 
grand, while Purity is also very good, as is 
also Panama. There will probably be plenty 
of room in such a border for a goodly spring 
display of bulbs of different varieties, Poly¬ 
anthuses in generous quantity, and not in 
too plentiful variety, Forget-me-nots, and that 
invaluable Doronicum austriacum, the best 
spring perennial that ever has been intro¬ 
duced into England. Then the edging of 
Violas will have their day, and following 
them the brilliant galaxy of Hollyhocks and 
Phloxes will make the border yet more beau¬ 
tiful while they last. F. M. Wells. 
OUR 
WEEKLY PRIZE COM¬ 
PETITIONS. 
General Conditions. — Competitors must 
write on one side of the paper only. Regular paid 
contributors to The Gardening World, or other 
gardening journals, are debarred from entering, 
but occasional contributors may compete. The 
name and address of the competitor must appear 
on each article sent for competition. The Editor’s 
decision is final, and he reserves the right to re¬ 
produce, in any way, any article or photograph 
sent for competition. The conditions applying to 
each competition should he carefully read. 
PRIZES. 
A Prize of Ten Shillings will be given f >r 
the best paragraph or short article on any 
gardening subject, such as hints of practical 
interest to gardeners, notes on the propagation or 
cultivation of flowers, fruits or vegetables, 
eradication of pests, etc. The paragraph or 
article must not exceed a column, but value 
rather than length will be considered in making 
the award. Mark envelopes “ Competition,” and 
post not later than the Monday following date of 
issue. Entries received later than Tuesday 
iirst post will be left over until the following 
week. 
Two Prizes of Two Shillings and Six¬ 
pence each will be given for the best supple¬ 
mentary replies to questions asked in “ The G. W. 
Enquire Within ” column. These replies should 
ue brief. 
A Prize of Five Shillings will be given for 
the best novel device for saving labour, protecting 
plants, or a garden utensil, which reaches us 
during any week. A rough sketch must accom¬ 
pany the brief description. 
RESULTS OF LAST WEEK'S COM 
PETITIONS. 
The prize in the Readers’ Competition v T as 
awarded to “ F. S. T. ” for his article on 
“ Eucharis,” p. 715. 
A prize for a supplementary reply was awarded 
to "Herbert Morris” for his artic'e on “Weed 
Killing ; ” and another to “Dunn,” for an article 
on “ Substitute for Crocus,” p. 716. 
A prize was also award to • ‘ L. B. Davis for a 
“ Novel Garden Implement,” p. 719. 
__ _ - —— 
The Flower Garden. 
Spring Flowering Plants. — Concurrently 
with spring bulbs there are innumerable ether 
plants which assist in producing a display in 
the early months of the year. One of the 
earliest plants to> bloom is Araibis albida, the 
single form ; it is an old and well-known 
plant, but none the less valuable, the snow- 
white flowers being profusely borne in early 
spring. The double form is also 1 very fine, 
producing long spikes of double white flowers 
and forming an excellent carpet for Tulips. 
Aubrietia-s are all lovely, and, if necessary, 
may be associated with white Tulips like 
Snowflake. Some of the best Aubrietias are 
A. deltoidea, A. graeca, A. Leichtlinii, and A. 
Prichard’s Al. They can mostly be purchased 
cheaply from local nurserymen or market 
growers. Myosotis (Forget-me-nots), too, are 
delightful, and should be largely used. They 
also go nicely with white Tulips, and some of 
the best kinds are M. alpestris Victoria, M. 
disset-iflora, and M. sylvatica, all of which 
mixed with white or yellow Polyanthus make 
a rare show. Alyssum saxatile, the Mad- 
wort, bears profusely its pretty yellow blos¬ 
soms, and makes a good carpet for red Tulips. 
The old-fashioned double Daisy is always 
successful, and will flower from early spring 
and throughout the summer if need be. Some 
of the newer white and pink varieties are 
charming, and worthy of inclusion in any 
garden. 
In associating bulbs and other spring flower¬ 
ing plants, it is, of course, necessary to plant 
the latter, such as Arabis and Aubrietias first, 
and place the bulbs between. Fairly close 
planting should be the rule, as many of these 
plants, having made their growth during the 
summer, will not spread much before flowering 
in spring. Of taller growing subjects we have 
Sweet Rockets, Hesperis Matronalis, and the 
old-fashioned Honesty, Lunaria annua, which 
flowers beautifully in May, the flowers being 
succeeded by silvery seed vessels. 
Those who have not facilities for raising 
spring plants at home will be rewarded by 
the expenditure of a few shillings in buying 
them, while if planting is carefully done suc¬ 
cess is assured. B. W. J. 
The Kitchen Garden. 
Preparations against Frost. —Except those 
who are living in favoured positions in the 
country, frosts may be looked for at any time 
now ; one will ever have to be on the alert, 
and when this is likely to occur protective 
material of some kind should be brought into 
use. It frequently happens that we experi¬ 
ence frost early in the month of sufficient 
severity to damage the most tender crops un¬ 
less protected, after which a long period of 
open weather occurs, and it is surprising how 
much may be saved by applying a timely 
covering. Especially does this relate to Vege¬ 
table Marrows and French and Runner Beans. 
Tiffany is generally sufficient for the purpose 
at this season. Late sown French Beans in 
the open will well repay the extra trouble of 
fixing over them any spare garden lights. 
Not only will this protect them against slight 
frosts, but the quality of the Beans, with the 
aid of a little glass, will he much improved. 
V 
Late Peas. —These are doing remarkably 
well this season, and to ensure a continuous 
supply the growths should be well thinned out 
and the extreme points of the leading growths 
stopped. Should mildew he in evidence give 
frequent dustings of sulphur in the mornings 
or late evenings when the foliage is damp, 
and this will do much to 1 arrest its progress. 
Veitch s; Autocrat- and Webb’s Masterpiece 
are still among the very best late varieties, 
the constitution of both being so robust that 
they do well on almost any well prepared land 
and in all localities. 
Brussels Sprouts. —Ihese are promising 
wonderfully well this season. The plants 
should be' gone over and all loose growths 
made at the bottom and decaying leaves re¬ 
moved. Any which show a tendency to fall 
over should be staked in an upright position. 
Late plantings! on a poor soil will be much 
improved if a dressing of vegetable manure, as 
per directions, is applied, after which hoe over 
the surface soil to a good depth. 
Lettuce and Endive. —Continue to plant 
out seedling plants as soon as large enough in 
the warmest positions in the garden, and make 
further sowings of Brown Cos, Hick’s Hardy 
V bite, and the old Hammersmith Cabbage 
Lettuce, still one of the most hardy and reli¬ 
able varieties for standing the winter ; also 
Improved Batavian and Curled Endive. 
Radishes may yet be sown on finely-broken 
ground on a south border, French Breakfast 
being the best. E. Beckett. 
Aldenham House Gardens. 
Hardy Herbaceous Border. 
Pentstem ms. —The value of these for bed¬ 
ding purposes is never more clearly demon¬ 
strated than at the present time, and in spite 
of the fact that they have been in full flower 
for a month, they still continue to produce 
any quantity of bloom, and will last well into 
the autumn. Those who- rely upon cuttings 
for next year’s supply, will now have to com¬ 
mence putting them hr, and it is advisable 
when getting these to select strong shoots from 
the most vigorous plants, and whether they 
are severed just beneath a joint or put in with 
the heel attached they will root equally well, 
but they should not be more than 3 in. in 
length. Whether pots or boxes are used they 
should be well drained. The most, suitable 
material to put over the cracks being half- 
decayed leaves, from which the plants derive 
much valuable feeding material before being 
placed in their flowering quarters in spring. 
A suitable compost will consist of one-half 
good mellow loam and half well decayed leaf 
soil, with a sufficient quantity of road or silver 
sand to keep it thoroughly porous. The whole 
should he passed through a quarter-inch sieve 
and used in a moist state ; then fill the pots or 
boxes firmly, nearly to the surface. If sepa¬ 
rate varieties are grown, the cuttings should be 
taken from one sort at a time, inserted, and 
correctly labelled. Give a good damping, 
place in a cold frame, and keep close until 
the leaves -ere quite stiff so that no sign of 
flagging can be observed, and syringe slightly 
every day. If the sun is warm, a slight shad¬ 
ing should be given. Where seedling plants 
